I just watched the Inuguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the United States.  One of the memorable phrases that he used in his address was recognizing “the triumph of hope over fear” at this time in our nation’s history.

I feel that I just woke up from a bad dream, after the past eight years of Republican rule.  During that time everything that I hold dear about my country has been violated by the Bush administration: torture, in violation of the Geneva convention; pre-emptive war, in violation of international law; inept and wasteful handling of that war, once started; ignoring of the protections of habeas corpus; spying on American citizens; refusing to recognize scientific knowledge in making policy; allowing the short-term gains of the few to endanger the life of the planet; power and position given to those whose main virtue was their support of the President; deregulation, leading to shameful economic inequity and finally the breakdown of the economic system.  I could go on, but let’s stop there.

Now in office is a man who embodies change.  The underprivileged son of a black man and a white woman, he is young, highly intelligent, compassionate, and a man of great integrity.  In his very person, he says YES to this nation, YES WE CAN.  Yes to all of us, not just some of us.  And in a time when so many of us have been beaten down by seeing our ideals dashed to the ground, we can once again choose hope over fear.  No wonder my tears were flowing so freely as I watched the Inauguration on television this morning.  It was a great letting go, and a great coming forth.